Tag Archives: joffre

We are pleased to announce that the ever popular “Tracks to the Trenches” Driver experience course dates for 2016 have been released.

This unique “day in the life” (of a WW1 light railway driver) course is a perfect present for special occasions. Delivered in a special presentation gift box, the voucher has a validity of 18 months, with the actual course date to be selected and booked directly by the recipient. With Christmas just around the corner, is this a perfect present for those difficult people who already have everything!?

Time is certainly speeding up as we approach the start of the Tracks to the Trenches event!

The last weekend has again seen terriffic progress on-site and after much blood, sweat and tears (mostly the event organisers!) we are very pleased to announce that the Tracks now really do reach the trenches!!!!

Below are a couple of photos of the latest arrivals to site. More to come, watch this space….

Today (1st September) is the deadline for advance ordinary ticket sales – local schools are still able to group-book until 5th September (please contact us – we will do our best to help).

If you are part of the organising team, you would be thinking that the Tracks to the Trenches event is getting dangerously close!

As the event opening is getting ever closer, we are able to see much visible progress on all fronts. Below are just a small selection of photos of recent developments. New railway, new loco, re-activated loco…… all coming to an event near you very soon!! Advance purchase tickets are still available until 1st September. The Group booking deadline has also been extended until 1st September & local schools can book until 5th September (just into term-time!). Please see here.

Just in time to be tested before the Tracks to the Trenches event, our Joffre locomotive has finally made its tentative first steps back into traffic!

If you recall, this engine was one of seventy delivered to the French Commission for their Artillery Railways to a specification similar to their existing Decauville design. These were sent out in 1915 and 1916 to take up their duties supplying ammunition and supplies to the front lines using a network of light railways.

To find out more about the role railways played in the conflict, tune in to Michael Portillo’s mini-series currently screening on BBC 2 “Railways of the Great War“, which is on at 18:30 each evening until Thursday this week. We are hoping to appear in the Wednesday episode, but we’ve not seen it yet so don’t know whether the Joffre’s “good side” will feature, but we certainly expect our Simplex locos to make an appearance, together with guest driver.

As to the Kerr Stuart (No 3014 of 1916), several months of work have seen the newly cast cylinder firstly stress-relieved and then machined to the original drawings, a task involving many weeks of painstaking work, any error in which would see the new casting written-off. It was eventually delivered to Apedale on Tuesday last week, during our annual volunteer working week. Several more days of work followed and the locomotive was ready to test on Sunday. We are delighted to report that everything worked perfectly, which will allow the loco to return to the roster shortly.

So, after having been enthused by the telly programme to learn more, don’t forget to visit us see this engine and others in action at the Tracks to the Trenches event on September 12th – 14th. Have we mentioned that before? You can book tickets here.

This is the new website to provide a focus and build-up towards the major WW1 commemoration event held over 13/14th September 2014 weekend at the Apedale Valley Light Railway’s site near Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England.

There is a high likliehood that the event may actually span 3-4 days – with School visits, Photographic charters & coach parties being strongly encouraged. Please contact us if this is of interest.

There are lots of other items and opportunities that will start to present themselves too. We are also keen to have discussions with Television/Film production companies who may be interested in working with us during this construction & gala creation.

We are also keen to make contact with any current Army units that might be able to assist us too please!

Please bookmark this site & watch for the regular updates as the developments progress.

Driver Experience Course

Click for details of the "Tracks to the Trenches" guest driver experience course (steam/diesel footplate day).

About the Event

The "Tracks to the Trenches" 2018 event marks the finalé of the Moseley Railway Trust's First World War centenary commemorations - highlighting the tremendous expansion of the British light railways, which were used right up until the Armistice in 1918.

In 2014 and 2016 the Apedale Valley Light Railway hosted major First World War centenary events - marking 100 years since the start of the "War to end all Wars". These highly acclaimed centenary events focused on the often overlooked areas of Transport and Logistics used by all combatants during the conflict. This was the narrow gauge light railways' finest hour.

Using much of the Apedale site that had previously been inaccessible to the public, the site developments completed for the event, are now a legacy to last well beyond the centenary period. More developments are underway - please keep watching this website for news!

The Apedale Valley Light Railway is the narrow gauge public passenger railway that is operated by the volunteer run Moseley Railway Trust charity at its Apedale home near Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, UK.